Abrading device



W. E. LAIRD.

ABRADLNG DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED mmznwrs.

Patented Nov. 8, 1921. I 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Inventor:

Weslea E.L alrd, 108 is torne-H W. E. LAIRD.

ABRADING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2|, 1919.

1,396,585, Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Inventor:

Wesles E.Lairci,

His J ttornea UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELEC- NEW YORK.

ABRADING DEVICE.

Application filed March 21,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, VVnsLEY E. LAIRD, acitizen of the United States, residing at Pittsfield, in the county ofBerkshire, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Abrading Devices, of which the following is aspecification.

The present invention comprises an apparatus for cleaning the surface ofsheet metal, particularly the edges, preparatory for welding, or anyother desired purpose.

lVhen sheets of metal are welded to each other it is desirable to removesurface oxid and scale from the parts to be welded to bring clean metalsurfaces into direct contact. The apparatu described herein isparticularly adapted to remove the surface layer from the edges of metalsheets preparatory to producing a seam weld not substantially greater inthickness than the rest of the sheet metal. my invention will be pointedout with particularity in the appended claims.

The following description is to be taken in connection with the appendeddrawings in which Figure 1 is a top view of an apparatus embodying myinvention; Fig, 2 is a side elevation; Fig. 3 is a side elevation takenat right angles to Fig. 2; Fig. 4 illus trates a preferred form ofabrading device and Fig. 5 illustrates smoothing rolls engaging theedges of sheet metal in one form of my invention.

The apparatus embodying my invention comprises a framework 1 consistingof upright and transverse members best shown in Fig. 2. The horizontalbars 2, 2' and the connecting strips 3 (Fig. 1) constitute a table orplatform for the reception of a sheet 4. For convenienceof working, apack of sheets 5 (Fig. 2) may be placed by a crane or other convenientmeans on a bridge 6 which overhangs the platform. The bridge 6 has notbeen shown in Fig. 1 as it would hide other parts of the apparatus butthe broken brackets indicate the location of the support 6 in Fig. 1.Individual sheets are pulled from this pack upon the shelves 7, 7 andthen placed by the operator upon the table in a flexed position with theedges Specification of Letters Patent.

The novel features of- Patented N 0v. 8, 1921. 1919. Serial No. 234,071.

inserted in the guides 8, 9, located on opposite edges of theframe-work. The sheet is inserted beneath the presser bars 10, 11,supported by the brackets 12, 12, which are in turn carried by the crossbar 13. The bars 10, 11 hold the sheet 4 in position to be engaged byprojecting lugs 14 on the chain 15. Four sets of chains 15 are provided,each passing over sprocket wheels 16 mounted on the shafts 17, 18, whichare in turn driven by a motor 19 through suitable worm 20 upon the shaft21, engaging with a gear 22 on the shaft 17. The travel of the chains.15 thus propels the sheet over the platform, the flexed position of thesheet pressing the edges outwardly into contact with the lateral guides8, 9, and causing it to be pressed into contact with abrading deviceswhich grind the surfaces of a strip along the respective edges of thesheet. As best shown in Fig. 4, the particular form of abrading devicesillustrated in the drawing comprise belts 23, 24 and 23, 24 surfacedwith abra: sive material, such as emery. The belts 23, 24 passrespectively over paired pulleys 25, 26 and 27, 28 driven by belt 29from the motor shaft 21 as best shown in Fig. 1. The belt 29, forexample, passes under a pulley 30 mounted on a common shaft 31 with thepulley 25 and passes over a pulley 32 mounted on a shaft 33 in commonwith the pulley 27 to rotate in opposite directions and drive ing thebelts 23, 24 as indicated by arrows in Fig. 4 in opposite directions, ineach case toward the outer edge of the sheet so as to exert traction tohold the sheet in place while cleaning the surface. The belt 29 is heldin frictional engagement with the pulleys 30, 32 by a tightener 34. Thetension of the abrading belts 23, 24 may be varied by adjusting theposition of the blocks 35, 36 on the supporting arms 37, 38, by means ofsuitable screws 39. The arms 37 38 may be held fixedly in a desiredposition by thumb screws 40 engaging with an upright member 41constituting part of the frame of the apparatus. The driving members forthe abrading belts on the opposite side of the apparatus are similarlyarranged, the belt 42 being crossed to reverse the rotation of the belts23', 24 so as to cause them to move I from the center toward the edge ofmetal sheet 4. Although I have shown a preferred form of abrading devicein the illustrated embodiment of my invention, I desire it to beunderstood that variou modifications ma be used advantageously in somecases epending on the character of the work. In some cases it may bedesirable to use but one of the abrading belts or their equivalent togrind sheets upon one side onl u some cases it is desirable to providepressure rolls engaging with the edges of the sheets to smooth outirregularities. As shown in Fig. 5 the rolls 44, 45 engage the sheet 4between them, the roll 45 being mountedon a shaft 46 driven by a chain47 engaging with sprocket wheels 48, 49 mounted respectively on theshafts-46 and 47. The roll 44 is mounted directly on the upright 41 ofthe frame of the apparatus.

After the sheets 4 have been pro elled past the abrading devices theyare s oved over the horizontal guides 50 and piled in a stack at the endof the apparatus. The

guides 51, 52 located at the extremities of the sheets hold u until thecenter the edges of the sheets as begun to fall so as to obviate damageto the corners. The upright post 53 prevents displacement of the sheetsand enables them to be piled one above the other in a pack so as to bereadily picked up by a crane or handle or'in any other desired manner. I

What Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is

position, an abrading device acting on an edge of said sheet and meansfor causing relative traversing motion between said sheet and saidabrading device.

2. An abrading apparatus comprising a framework having a platform,guides spaced apart on said platform and adapted to receive the edges ofsheet metal while in a flexed position, paired abrading devices actingupon opposite sides of said sheet metal, and means for traversing saidsheet metal with respect to said abrading devices.

3. An abrading apparatus comprising a framework having parallel guidesspaced apart, means for propelling sheet material over said frameworkwith edges in contact with said guides, and abrasive means positioned toengage with a predetermined part of the sheet material propelled oversaid framework while the edges of the sheet material are held inposition by said guides.

4. An abrading apparatus comprising a framework having parallel guidesspaced apart, means for propelling sheet material over said frameworkwith edges in engagement with said guides, and a revolving abrasivedevice mounted on said framework in 6. An apparatus for abrading theedges of I sheets of material, comprising guiding means adapted todetermine the path of travel of. each sheet through the apparatus, apair of adjacent traveling belts arranged transversely of the path oftravel to the sheets provided with abrading surfaces respectivelyarranged in position to abrade top and bottom surfaces near an edge'ofeach sheet.

7. An abrading apparatus, comprising a pair of adjacent traveling beltsprovided with abrading surfaces, respectively arranged in position toabrade top and bottom surfaces at the edge of an article to be abraded,said belts being arranged transversely to the edge of the article to beabraded and driven in the proper directions to exert traction on saidarticle to hold it against said abrading surfaces.

8. An abrading apparatus for sheets of flexible material, comprisingguiding means for the edges of said sheets located so as to require saidsheets to take a flexed position in passing through said apparatus,whereby the edges of said sheets are forced against said guiding means,and means for simultaneously abrading top and bottom surfaces of twoedges of said sheets, comprising a pair of traveling abrading belts,located adjacent each of said edges, said belts being driven in theproper directions to exert traction on said sheets to hold the sheetsagainst said abrading surfaces and in line with said guiding means.

9. An abrading apparatus for sheets of flexible material adapted to bepassed through said apparatus, comprising guiding means for the edges ofsaid sheets located to require said sheets to take a flexed position inpassing through said apparatus whereby the edges of saidsheets are\forced against said guiding means, and means adapted to press upon saidsheets at points between s aid appa tus, comprising guiding means forthe edges of said sheets. located to require said sheets to take aflexed position in passing through said apparatus whereby the edges ofsaid sheets are forced against said guiding means, and means adapted topress upon said sheets at points between the center and edges thereof,so that the portions of the sheets between said pressing means and saidguiding means are substantially flat, where- 10 by a series of similarsheets passed through the machine will have their path of traveldefinitely determined.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 18th day of March,1919.

WESLEY E. LAIRD.

